Remote energy supply process and system for an electronic information carrier

ABSTRACT

Remote energy supply process and system for an electronic information carrier. Known processes and devices do not allow supplying energy wirelessly to an information carrier arranged inside a thick-walled and/or metallic body because energy radiation based on electromagnetic waves hardly penetrates, if at all, such bodies and contactlessly transmitted ultra-sound does not effectively penetrate them. The system consists of a basis apparatus fitted with an acoustic transmission unit in loose connection by a superficial body contact with a functional object. The information carrier is located inside this functional object, in an acoustically solid connection therewith. This creates a closed, acoustically well coupled total system which ensures an effective energy and information transmission by acoustic means. The invention is applicable for the transmission of codes and information in the electronic entry/access authorization field and product identification.

This invention is related to an arrangement and a method for remoteenergy supply of an electronic information carrier by a base deviceaccording to the preamble of Claim 1.

There have been known methods and arrangements, in which an electronicinformation carrier containing electronic components for informationprocessing, management or storage is supplied with energy from outsideso that electrochemical energy stores, such as accumulators orbatteries, in the information carrier may be dispensed with. EP 0536 430A1 (H04B 10/00) describes a method for energy supply of a remote-controlhand-held transmitter, e.g, for a motorcar locking system, in which thehand-held transmitter includes an energy store in the form of acapacitor. According to Claim 9, the recharging energy for the energystore may be transmitted in a non-contacting manner using ultrasound.Energy transmission is through the air from the car. In DE 4308372 A1(E05B 47/00), there is shown a locking system remotely controllable byradio, light or ultrasound, in which the energy store of a portabletransmitter is charged when the portable transmitter is located at leastin the immediate vicinity of an energy dispenser arranged on the side ofthe lock. In that case, energy transmission is either inductive or byelectric contact.

An arrangement for transmitting and/or receiving ultrasonic signals isshown in DE 9401489 U1 (H04B11/00). In that case, two ultrasonic modulesare electrically coupled to each other through a supply lead.

In addition, other arrangements and methods form part of the state ofthe art, in which electronic energy stores are supplied with energy in acontacting manner through an electrically conductive connection, or in anon-contacting manner by optical as well as radio means, which has alsobeen disclosed in the above-mentioned documents. In the so-calledtransponder technique, energy and information are also transmitted in anon-contacting manner using radio frequency waves. The advantage of allthe arrangements and methods just mentioned is that the informationcarrier is maintenance-free in terms of energy store replacement, andthat it is also possible to construct the information carrier so that itis simpler, more lightweight, more compact, and more enclosed,particularly in view of the capabilities offered by contemporarymicroelectronics and microsystems engineering.

In radio frequency transponders, in particular, energy transmission isvery easy to implement. The documents mentioned above show a trendtowards the non-contacting technique, as it has undisputed advantages interms of handling comfort and flexibility.

Non-contacting methods, however, suffer under a number of safety andtechnical disadvantages. Any remote transmission of information throughthe air is subject to possible tapping by unauthorised persons, be itonly to register the action as such. In addition, with passivetransponders there is a temporal and spatial uncertainty about theexpression of will. In contrast, an unambiguous expression of will ismanifest when actively operable information carriers and the contactingtechnique are employed.

Both optical and radio wave methods suffer from the drawback that onlynon-metallic materials are suitable as a “window” behind which an energyand/or information receiver is located. As metals permit electromagneticwaves to penetrate into the surface to a very limited extent only, theusual transponder, radio, and optical methods for the transmission ofenergy and/or information cannot be used where the information carrieris located behind metal or within a metallic and metal-rich body,respectively. On the other hand, ultrasound penetrates through allmaterials. A solution as described in EP 0536 430 A1, however, wouldalso require the provision of a “window”, either a hole or a thinmembrane, in order to transmit both energy and information. In gases,sound absorption is very high, and sound energy is distributed quicklyin all directions in space by reflection at solid bodies, so that it isno longer usable in a concentrated form. Therefore, a comparativelypowerful acoustic energy source must be focussed and directed toward anarticle, if the information carrier, comprising an energy store to becharged, is located behind a thicker layer of material there.

As a result of the above disadvantages, the use of the mentioned methodsis either difficult, related to major expenditure, or even impossible,if information carriers to be remotely supplied with energy are locatedwithin bodies, more particularly, within metallic bodies. Also, mountingthem at unobtrusive locations, which sometimes is necessary, is possibleto a limited extent only. Either the material will have to be taken intoaccount, or the information carrier and the transmitting/receiving unitthereof will be visible from outside, respectively.

It is known that acoustic waves propagate much better in condensedsubstances than in gases, which is why ultrasound may be usedadvantageously, e.g. for underwater locating purposes. Poor soundabsorption of metals further permits such solutions as described in DE92 10 894 (H04B 11/00), where a heating pipe system in buildings is usedfor transmitting information.

The object of the invention is to provide an arrangement and/or a methodfor remote energy supply of an electronic information carrier by a basedevice, which ensures that the information carrier may be placed both onthe surface and in the interior a functional article, completelysurrounded by metallic or non-metallic material, that low-energysolutions and an expression of will related to the transmission ofenergy and/or information are properly realisable, that there are goodconditions for obtaining miniaturised embodiments of the informationcarrier, and that no electrically conductive connections are required tosupply the information carrier with energy.

This object is solved with an arrangement and a method according toClaim 1.

The essential advantages of the invention all result from the fact thatthe entire arrangement according to Claim 1 forms a mechanically coupledand, therefore, acoustically very well coupled system, whereby themethod according to Claim 1 becomes realisable. When the acoustictransmitting unit of the base device, constituting the acoustic energysource, and the functional article, i.e., the article housing theinformation carrier, contact each other at a point of contact, an energysink will be present at such location through which acoustic energy thenmay flow into the functional article. This equally applies to thejunction between the functional article and the information carrier,where there is the additional fact that the energy supply unit,preferably operating in the resonant range of the sound frequency, oralso in a secondary excitation, forms a particularly powerful sink andimmediately absorbs a very great amount of energy. Due to the resultingpotential drop, a lot of acoustic energy will always continue to flow,no matter where the information carrier is located, because the soundhas good penetration through the entire body of the functional article.

A major advantage is that the functional article is essentiallyunlimited by neither material nor shape thereof. Limitations imposed onthe placement of the information carrier would be expected only withfunctional articles having a large quantity of gaseous inclusions orsound absorptions caused otherwise. This does not apply to the vastmajority of metallic, ceramic; composite, and plastic, including rubber,articles employed in the industry or at home.

Even if there is a bodily contact to the surface of the functionalarticle, this will constitute a remote energy supply, up to theinformation carrier. Using the arrangement and method according to Claim1, this will be feasible now even in those cases where the informationcarrier to be supplied is located behind thick layers of material, or ishidden anywhere inside a body. Positioning the information carrier atany location will require no particular effort, as line connections orother specific energy and information paths need not be taken intoaccount. The only applicable condition is a good acoustic coupling,between the functional article and the acoustic energy source on the onehand, and between the information carrier and the functional article onthe other, so that comparatively little primary acoustic energy canguarantee sufficient energy transmission. For that purpose, theinformation carrier preferably may be secured on or within thefunctional article by adhesive bonding, cementing, soldering, brazing,clamping, screwing or similar ways. For connecting the acoustictransmitting unit of the base device to the functional article, asurface-bodily contact will suffice, which contact, however, may beenhanced further by some force or the use of an acoustic couplingliquid. In contrast, non-contacting transmission through an air gapwould require considerably higher sound energies, both for energytransmission to the information carrier and, in particular, for theinformation transmitting power of the information carrier. That wouldalso be a serious obstacle to miniaturizing the information carrier.

Moreover, making the contact will always constitute an unambiguousaction, thereby very well satisfying the requirement for an expressionof will as defined by the object of the invention.

Other advantages offered directly or potentially by the arrangement andmethod according to Claim 1 include possible ways of implementing aprotection of the information carrier against the risk of destructiondue to mechanical, chemical, electrostatic, radiation, thermal, or otherinfluences.

Preferably, as energy receivers of the energy supply unit in theinformation carrier, transducers based on piezoelectric materials aresuitable, while piezomagnetic, dynamo-electric or other suitableelements may be used in principle as well, as long as they transform theenergy of acoustically induced mechanical vibrations directly orindirectly into electric energy. That equally applies to the informationtransmitting unit of the information carrier. In information receivers,other methods are also suitable, in which physical quantities, such ascapacity or resistance and others, may form the basis of a sound orvibration sensor.

In some cases, it may be beneficial in practice for the informationtransmitting unit, the information receiving unit, and the energyreceiving unit of the information carrier to form separate elements,thus making it possible for the respective individual task to beoptimised in an entirely separate manner in terms of energy,dimensioning, functional principle, frequency, etc. This is true forboth the transducer and the upstream and downstream electronics,respectively. In other cases, a joint use of various components may bepreferred for other reasons. In particular, though not necessarily, thismay be the aim where the general focus is on miniaturising theinformation carrier. According to Claim 2, that will be possible,including a complete merger to form a single unit. Then, energy andinformation will be received through a common transducer, to beseparated by a downstream electronics. Conversely, this transducerserves to transmit information.

Mounting all components of the information carrier on a common base,e.g. on a ceramic, plastic or film-type printed-circuit board, as can beimplemented according to Claim 3, is favourable for various reasons,such as handling, assembly or miniaturisation. In particular, if theintention is to miniaturise the information carrier, the arrangement andmethod according to Claim 1 will offer best alternatives forimplementation in the field of microsystems engineering according toClaim 4. As an effective transmission of both energy and information canbe effected through the bodily-acoustic contact path according to Claim1, it is possible to work with very small total energies. This impliesthe major advantage that all the components of the information carrier,from the transducer to capacitors as intermediate energy stores, to anyelectronic semiconductor components required, can be designed with verysmall space requirements. It is only by this approach that microsystemsengineering dimensions can be accomplished, that permit accommodatingall the information carrier components in an area of just a few mm² orsmaller. Semiconductor technologies used for microsystems engineering,especially silicon engineering, and microassembly engineering may beused favourably for manufacturing a subminiature information carrier tobe used within the arrangement and according to the method of Claim 1.

For practical handling purposes and other reasons mentioned below, itwill be useful to have the information carrier available in a compactform, e.g., in a plastic-embedded body according to Claim 5, or in theform of a capsule according to Claim 6. Then, such an informationcarrier could be accommodated conveniently within any bodies, i.e. thefunctional articles.

If necessary, it may be helpful to have another way of informationtransmission available in addition to the acoustic path, e.g., totransfer information to certain memory areas which cannot be erasedlater, prior to placement into the functional article. This will bepossible by providing at least two metallic points of contact on theoutside according to Claim 7, which are connected in an electricallyconductive manner to electronic components of the information carrier.

The opportunities for developing information systems provided by Claim 1are of extraordinary variety and cannot be attained by any otherinformation system. The main reasons for restrictions in other systemsare that the information carrier may not be placed into any articlewhatsoever, and at any “depth”, that partly a considerable amount ofenergy has to be used on at least one side of communication, and thatenergy maintenance is required, such as checking and replacingbatteries. A system based on Claim 1 would solve the placement problemon the one hand, and would permit at least low-energy solutions to theoverall system on the other. Basically, the solution demanding the leastenergy is direct electric contact. This will be possible according toClaim 8 where the two metallic parts mounted on the functional articleprovide another way of accessing the information carrier, if required.That will be a particular benefit in a functional article havingmultiple functions, such as a key according to Claim 11, if a specificlock does not include an acoustic, but only an electric informationtransmitting unit.

Advantageously, the metallic element according to Claim 9 may also beemployed for energy saving purposes, as it can be used in a simplemanner to trigger an action; for example, switching the acoustictransmitting unit of the base device on, either with a time limit orduring the hold time at the contacts.

Because a system based on the arrangement and method according to Claim1 offers a widest possible placement range for the information carriersaccording to Claims 1-9 compatible therewith, a large number of articlesmay be fitted with information carriers, preferably those based onClaims 5 and 6, at a very early stage of manufacture. Thus, according toClaim 10, it would be possible to file, read or re-writeproduct-relevant information about the entire product life, startingfrom manufacture, for purposes of production, distribution, sales,servicing up to recycling, so that it will be “deeply hidden inside theproduct” and protected against destructive access in a very safe manner.In doing so, a chip-internal safety system may easily implement aselective read/write protection mechanism.

Another interesting opportunity arises when the arrangement and methodaccording to Claim 1 form the basis of a locking system. Apart fromconventional keys and key-ring pendants, according to Claim 11, thefunction of a key could be transferred easily and inconspicuously to anyother article without the function thereof being recognisable fromoutside. Any every-day item, such as writing implements, watches,buttons, glasses, etc., would be suitable.

Specific advantages result, if pieces of jewellery according to Claim12,and, more particularly, rings form the functional articles. These areworn closely to the body so that the risk of losing them is very small.Similarly, cards according to Claim 13, especially those having a chipcard format, could be used favourably as functional articles.

The use of the arrangement and method according to Claim 1 in theautomotive sector according to Claim 14 should also receive a specialmention. Apart from the advantages for product description mentionedabove, this would provide especially favourable benefits for theproduction, marketing, and service system as a whole, and for preventingand combating crime. In such a case, it would not only be the car as ageneral product, but also various components that could individually beprovided with corresponding information carriers, which are also used inmutual communication, if necessary, through corresponding relay stationsaccording to Claim 15, in order to fulfil additional safeguarding tasks,e.g., starting the engine only if certain or all of the informationcarriers are present. The combination with a ring for a finger formingthe functional article offers another variant for safeguarding andoperating the car in a particularly safe and elegant way.

The relay stations of Claim 15 operate as repeaters for thecommunicating information carriers in the various functional articles asregards information transmission, and/or they assume the energy supplyfunction, if required. Thus, they constitute a special form of a basedevice.

The present invention will be explained below in greater detail withreference to an embodiment thereof.

IN THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a sketch for explaining the fundamental principle;

FIG. 2 shows a multifunctional arrangement of various base devicesincluding a ring for a finger forming a functional article;

FIG. 3 shows an arrangement including a piece of jewellery as afunctional article used for identification purposes;

FIG. 4 shows an arrangement including a card having the standard chipcard format as a functional article; and

FIG. 5 shows a partial arrangement including a bicycle as a functionalarticle used for the identification thereof.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a base device 1 connected through acable 2 to the acoustic transmitting unit 3 designed as a hand-helddevice. The acoustic transmitting unit 3 can not only produce theacoustic energy in the form of ultrasound, but is also capable oftransmitting and receiving acoustic information in this case. When thefunctional article 4, which forms a steel block and is provided asstarting material for fabricating a special gearbox member, is contactedby the acoustic transmitting unit 3, acoustic waves penetrate into thefunctional article 4 to reach the information carrier 5 on a bodilypath. The information carrier 5 is adhesively bonded into the end of ahole 6 inside the functional article 4, thereby protecting it againstany accidentally destructive access during subsequent turning andmilling operations. In FIG. 1, the information carrier 5 is shown againon an enlarged scale to consist of a cylindrical steel capsule 7 of 4 mmdiameter, housing on a silicon chip 8 the electronic informationprocessing unit 9, i.e., a microcontroller, an energy supply unit 10, aninformation receiving unit 11, and an information transmitting unit 12,each consisting of a piezoelectric transducer 13, 14, 15 and adownstream electronics 16, 17 processing the electricity generated bythe piezoelectric transducers 13, 14 for use in the information carrier,and an upstream electronics 18 supplying the piezoelectric transducer 15with the information to be transmitted in the form of electric signals,respectively. Isolation of the individual piezoelectric transducers 13,14, 15 and the electronics 16, 17, 18 associated therewith is possibledue to the high obtainable degree of miniaturisation in semiconductortechnology, and permits separate reception of energy and information aswell as independent transmission of information. On the rear sidethereof, the silicon chip 8 has been fixedly secured to the capsule 7using an adhesive.

With the arrangement shown in FIG. 1, the operator of a machine tool mayobtain essential fabrication data for the gearbox member from theinformation carrier 5 to supply it to the machine tool, and feedinformation on the result of his or her work into the informationcarrier 5.

In FIG. 2, there is shown a functional article 4 configured as a ringfor a finger, the acoustic transmitting unit 3 configured as a plateprovided for a car door, and a receiving unit in the form of a disk 30to be attached to a letter box. The ring holds the information carrier 5within a recess 19. A flexible base 20 mounts all the elements of theinformation carrier 5 thereon. On its exterior, it includes two metallicpoints of contact 21, which in turn are connected to the two metallicparts 22, shown to be formed by the ring itself and a ring elementmounted in isolation from the ring. After bonding the informationcarrier 5 in place, the recess 19 has been closed by a lid 23. Thepiezoelectric transducer 24 is covered by a cap 25 to prevent themechanically vibrating parts thereof from being impaired in theirfunctions. Together with the electronics 26, it forms a unit 27 assumingthe combined functions of the energy supply unit 10, informationreceiving unit 11 and information transmitting unit 12 in that case.

On the transmitting unit 3 in the form of the plate, there are providedtwo contacts 28 to be bridged when touched by the ring. Acting as ametallic element 31, the ring itself causes the bridging to occur. Thus,it will activate the transmitting unit 3, and the exchange ofinformation will take place with the information carrier 5 inside thering through the contacting acoustic path. The above-mentioned letterbox does not constitute a base device 1. It only includes an electroniclock operated by the two contacts 29 which are used for transmittingboth energy and information. Thus, the lock of the letter box may beopened if the two metallic parts 22 are engaged by the contacts 29.

The application of the present invention to the identification ofjewellery is illustrated in FIG. 3. As shown, the base device 1 forms areading and programming device including a display screen 32, and isconnected through a cable 2 to the acoustic transmitting unit 3, inwhich a piezoelectric transducer 33 is mounted below a supporting steelplate. Onto that supporting plate, the functional article 4 shown inFIG. 3 as having the form of a ring for a finger, but which may also bea brooch, watch, bracelet or other piece of jewellery, may be placed orpressed. Inside the functional article 4, there is located a cavity 34.The information carrier 5 may be inserted through a hole into the cavity34, and secured with adhesive 35. On completion of such assembly work,the hole may be closed by a closure 36 made of the same material as thefunctional article 4. Apart from adhesive bonding, brazing and weldingare also possible techniques for assembling, during which the mountingsite of the information carrier 5 will have to be cooled, if necessary.After the closure 36 has been welded to the ring forming the functionalarticle 4, and after the surface has been correspondingly re-worked, itwill be impossible to recognise from the outside that an informationcarrier 5 is mounted within the ring. To ensure communication, theinformation carrier 5 need not necessarily confront the piezoelectrictransducer 33 directly as shown in FIG. 3, although the shortestdistance is generally favourable. Because the information carrier 5 iscompletely surrounded by metal within the functional article 4, anydestruction of the electronics of the information carrier 5 by possibleexternal electrostatic fields or charging actions will be virtuallyexcluded. That equally applies to the application shown in FIG. 4 wherethe functional article 4 has the form of a chip card, which in this caseconsists completely of metal. Use of special steel or titanium alloysmay be preferred. Chip cards of that kind may be designed in a morerugged way compared to known plastic chip cards in terms of mechanicalstrength, environmental durability and protection against electrostatichazards. Handling, too, is extremely easy by placing it onto thecorresponding acoustic transmitting unit 5 which corresponds to theread/write interface or reader for known chip cards.

Another very practical usage is pointed out in FIG. 5. Placing theinformation carrier in a bicycle forming the functional article 4, e.g.,in the frame member 37, will be a very simple and unobtrusive way ofidentifying bicycles. By means of a plug 38, removal of such anidentification may be prevented or made so difficult that it can beaccomplished only by destroying the bicycle forming the functionalarticle 4, which is not in the interest of bicycle thieves either.

In summary, the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-5 illustrates that anyarticles may be transformed into functional articles 4, by mounting inthe interior thereof an information carrier 5 enabling an exchange ofboth energy and information to take place through acoustic waves, andhaving an internal structure exemplified by FIGS. 1 and 2. For thatpurpose, miniaturisation of the information carrier 5 is an importantcondition, so as to be able to equip even small articles in that way,impair as little as possible the external appearance of the articlesalong with the properties and applications thereof, and not to restricttheir mobility. As a result of the present invention, articles becomecapable of communicating. In the invention, mono- or bi-directionalcommunication typically is initiated and maintained during the surfacecontact between the acoustic transmitting unit 3 of a base device 1 andthe articles. Establishing the contact, which in general will be madeonly during the energy and information transmission, can be carried outby manual or mechanical movement of the acoustic transmitting unit 3toward the functional article 4, or vice versa. The informationunderlying the communication may be entered from outside using theacoustic transmitting unit 3 of a base device 1, as is shown in FIGS.1-5, and it may be supplied independently thereof from sources internalto the article, e.g., from measuring points, to the information carrier5. This may be performed by acoustic or other means, such as electriclines.

List of Reference Numbers

-   1 base device-   2 cable-   3 acoustic transmitting unit-   4 functional article-   5 information carrier-   6 hole-   7 capsule-   8 silicon chip-   9 electronic information processing unit-   10 energy supply unit-   11 information receiving unit-   12 information transmitting unit-   13 piezoelectric transducer-   14 piezoelectric transducer-   15 piezoelectric transducer-   16 downstream electronics-   17 downstream electronics-   18 upstream electronics-   19 recess-   20 flexible base-   21 metallic point of contact-   22 metallic parts-   23 lid-   24 piezoelectric transducer-   25 cap-   26 electronics-   27 unit-   28 contacts-   29 contacts-   30 disk-   31 metallic element-   32 display screen-   33 piezoelectric transducer-   34 cavity-   35 adhesive-   36 closure-   37 frame member of functional article-   38 plug

1. An arrangement and a method for remote energy supply of an electronicinformation carrierby a base device comprising an acoustic transmittingunit, said information carrier including an electronic informationprocessing unit, an energy supply unit converting mechanical energy ofacoustic waves into electric energy, and an information transmittingand/or receiving unit capable of receiving and/or transmitting acousticwaves, and being arranged in an acoustically fixed coupling to afunctional article, characterised in that said acoustic transmittingunit (3) of said base device (1) and said functional article (4) arearranged in a loose contact connection through a surface-bodily contact,said acoustic transmitting unit (3) of said base device (1) and saidinformation carrier (5) do not necessarily contact each other, saidacoustic transmitting unit (3) of said base device (1) radiates acousticenergy to enter said functional article (4) on a bodily path through thepoint of contact between said acoustic transmitting unit (3) and saidfunctional article (4), said energy supply unit (10) of said informationcarrier (5), which works preferentially within the resonance rangecorresponding to the frequency of the entered acoustic waves, drawsacoustic energy from said functional article (4), the electric energygenerated by said energy supply unit (10) from the drawn acoustic energyguarantees the energy supply of said entire information carrier (5), andan information transmission is realised on a bodily-acoustic pathbetween said functional article (4) and said base device (1) and/oranother device on the part of said information carrier (5) through saidinformation transmitting (12) and/or receiving unit (11) thereof.
 2. Anarrangement and a method according to claim 1, characterised in thatsaid energy supply unit (10) and said information transmitting (12)and/or receiving unit (11) of said information carrier (5) includecomponents used in common, or are united completely to form a unit (27).3. An arrangement and a method according to characterised in that allthe elements of said information carrier (5) are arranged on a commonbase (8, 20).
 4. An arrangement and a method according to claim 1,characterised in that said information carrier (5) comprises aMicrosystems engineering dimension and consists of microsystemsengineering elements.
 5. An arrangement and a method according to claim1, characterised in that said information carrier (5) forms a compactbody embedded on all sides, in which all the elements of saidinformation carrier (5) are accommodated.
 6. An arrangement and a methodaccording to claim 1, characterised in that all the elements of saidinformation carrier (5) are arranged within a capsule (7), and such thatsaid capsule (7), preferably consisting of metal and/or an organicmaterial, such as polymeric plastic of any type, and/or an inorganicmaterial, such as ceramic, glass, cermet, stone, mineral or preciousstone and/or composites of any type, forms the information carrier (5).7. An arrangement and a method according to claim 1, characterised inthat on the outside of said information carrier (5), there are locatedat least two metallic points of contact (21), connected in anelectrically conductive manner to electronic components of saidinformation carrier (5) and permitting a transmission of both electricenergy and information.
 8. An arrangement and a method according toclaim 1, characterised in that on the outside of said functional article(4), there are arranged at least two metallic parts (22), connected inan electrically conductive manner to said metallic points of contact(21) according to claim 7 and permitting a transmission of both electricenergy and information to said information carrier (5).
 9. Anarrangement and a method according to claim 1, characterised in that onthe outside of said functional article (4), there is arranged a metallicelement (31) having no electric function for the transmission ofinformation or energy, which upon contacting said acoustic transmittingunit (3) of said base device (1), or said base device (1) itself,bridges two contacts (28) thereon and triggers an action thereby.
 10. Anarrangement and a method according to claim 1, characterised in thatsaid information carrier (5) contains information for the identificationof said functional article (4) and/or for the description thereof and/orfor the description of the state thereof and/or the logistic datathereof and/or the production data thereof, and said information carrier(5) is placed preferably “deeply inside” said functional article (4).11. An arrangement and a method according to claim 1, characterised inthat said information carrier (5) contains codes, and said functionalarticle (4) possesses the function of a key, preferably without saidfunctional article (4) being recognisable as a key.
 12. An arrangementand a method according to claim 1, characterised in that saidinformation carrier (5) is arranged in a piece of jewellery, moreparticularly, in a ring for a finger forming said functional article(4).
 13. An arrangement and a method according to claim 1, characterisedin that said information carrier (5) is arranged in a functional article(4) configured as a card.
 14. An arrangement and a method according toclaim 1, characterised in that said information carrier (5) is arrangedin a vehicle member forming said functional article (4).
 15. Anarrangement and a method according to claim, characterised in thatcommunication between various information carriers (5) in variousfunctional articles (4) is realised by means of one or more relaystations.